Today’s blog is about cracks in the driveway, sidewalk and the garage. While you may see them in the concrete and very light and small to a gap that is noticeable. I wanted to share today why its important to repair them other then appearance. So lets begin.

While doing inspections we come across typical concrete cracks to the concrete has a sunk or is cracked due to many reasons. Some cracks fall into one or more of several categories: 1) plastic shrinkage 2) settlement 3) drying shrinkage 4)chemical 5) corrosion and 6) overload. Concrete will fail just like anything else. Some cracks appear shortly after the pour and some take many years. A lot of sidewalks for homes are poured at 3500 psi. Yes you will see 4000 and 5000 psi. Some driveways and commercial applications vary. But lets not get too technical. We are not trying to develop the science on concrete.

The biggest part is when you see cracks remember moisture will get in. No matter if its the driveway, garage or back patio. This you want to avoid. Main reason is that once moisture enters the cracks the concrete will absorb it and start to deteriorate. A lot folks in the North East have had snow and rain. This is not good with cracks. The repair process can be a small job up to replacing the area. Small jobs may just require you on a Saturday cutting out the crack and filling it with a repair compound. Some maybe a bit more extensive. Additionally, you may see concrete caulk. I am not a fan of this product. One appearance wise it looks tacky. Two lets think about it. You gonna caulk your driveway? Do the task correctly so your home is prestige.

In closing when we see the concrete cracks and they look jagged or shark tooth style. They are the ones to worry about. This is true for concrete block as we see the cracks there too. Normally something has made that area to heave or sink. Thank you for following us today. If you have more questions about concrete cracks, feel free to call us anytime at 352-322-2700 or visit us at; www.emeraldinspectionservice.com

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We were on an inspection last week and part of the inspection is about concrete cracks in the driveway, sidewalks and other concrete areas on the exterior of the home. A lot of times the cracks go unnoticed and are forgotten about. And we do our due diligence by reporting them. But this time it struck me odd. And the realtor almost broke her ankle due to the cracking in the driveway. So I wanted to take this time about the cracks and why they are a so a must to repair. So lets begin.

Normally when we see cracks there is either 3 different causes. Your typical settling and aging cracks of the concrete. These are those tiny hair line cracks that you will notice in the garage, the driveway, sidewalk or porch. Sometimes they appear around the decking of the pool. They are not major but they should not be overlooked. Over time these cracks will seperate more. This is the time to have them repaired and be done.

Then we have the type of concrete cracks that over time have been ignored. The concrete has gotten moisture intrusion and with hot and cold temperatures the cracks have separated more then a 1/4″ gap. This usually happens after a freeze or winter. Still a moderate easy fix. But anyone who wears any type of heal will catch the heal in the gap and is definitely a safety hazard. When we see this, it is noted as well but more of a safety hazard instead of monitor. Now this separating of the crack should not had happen overnight. Its over time. Remember it starts out as a tiny hairline then grows to a 1/4-1/2″ gap.

And lastly we have the omg style cracking. This is usually occured when some type of structural or mechanical elements fail. For example water lines under the slab. Or you may have an area that ground erosion has started to occur. This is a bit more serious. The concrete may have lifted or settled and sometimes be intact. (tree roots sometimes do this) There is a cure to fix this but it will be more costly then the simple hair line crack.

So in closing remember every few months while doing exterior maintenance on the home, walk and check the concrete around your home. Unless you specifically look for something you may not see it. To learn more about this feel free to look us up at; http://www.emeraldinspectionservice.com or better yet give us a call. 352-322-2700. We perform concrete scanning and all concrete is noted on our inspections such as annual home maintenance, general inspection, and 11 month warranty inspection. The areas are the Gulf Coast, Central Florida, Brooksville, Tampa, Polk City, and Webster areas are just some of the areas. Thank You.

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We are proud to announce that we offer concrete scanning as one of our new services. So you may think ok why do I need the concrete scanned. Well down here a lot of pipes are underground and same with wires. By hiring us we can pin point exactly where a wire, pipe or other objects are. You do not want to take a chance of redoing some ones home and hit a wire or pipe. But that’s not the only reason. Say for example you are working on a home and some of the concrete, whether it be a slab or driveway, needs to be repaired. So you use a demo hammer and not knowing touch a wire and you become the ground.

So to find out more about this service we will be doing a live demonstration at the summer expo in Largo FL. Or call our office 352-322-2700 anytime. We perform this and other services throughout Florida. For example; Clearwater, Tampa, Clermont, and Hudson.

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